What does Windows error code 1321 (ERROR_MEMBER_NOT_IN_GROUP) mean?

 
Previous Next
ERROR_MEMBER_IN_GROUP ERROR_LAST_ADMIN

ERROR_MEMBER_NOT_IN_GROUP

A group removal request referenced a membership edge that is not present

SamrRemoveMemberFromGroup and NetGroupDelUser operate on an existing group membership. ERROR_MEMBER_NOT_IN_GROUP means the user and group operation reached the membership layer, but the requested relationship is absent. That is different from ERROR_NO_SUCH_USER or ERROR_NO_SUCH_GROUP, where one of the underlying objects cannot be found.

Membership-removal automation should normally query or enumerate the current group before escalating this status. The condition can be an idempotent success for a desired-state tool whose goal is simply “not a member,” but it can also reveal that the caller resolved the wrong domain account or wrong group. Record stable identifiers when possible instead of comparing only display names.

What to inspect

  • Verify that both the user and group resolve in the intended account domain.
  • Read current membership before deciding whether the result is harmless idempotency.
  • Check for a similarly named account from another domain or local SAM.

References


Looking for a different code? Search another status or error code.